vncnus Page 368
Page 368
Yi Ji looked into the river and saw it filled with small and medium-sized boats. He called out, "When are we leaving?" The ferryman hurriedly replied, "They've waited for enough people and goods; they'll usually depart in about an hour." Damn it, that won't do. An hour? In less than half an hour, pursuers would be catching up. He glanced up and saw a small tent boat on the edge of the river; the boatman was preparing to weigh anchor and leave. Yi Ji was overjoyed and rushed over: "Boatman! Are we leaving right away?" The boatman looked up, and Yi Ji was immediately startled. Oh my god, he was so damn ugly! This boatman had a flat nose, big ears, and a wide, round face. His small eyes seemed to be squinting. His entire face perfectly avoided any sense of "harmony," looking crooked and uneven. He was short and stout, wearing something that was neither a short shirt nor a scholar's robe, and he was barefoot.
"Uh..." Yi Ji suppressed his displeasure. He's so ugly, yet he still comes out to scare people... Luckily it's daytime, otherwise he would scare people to death at night!
"Sir, I don't take guests." The ugly man's voice was steady and amiable. He then turned to row away.
"Wait, wait... This boatman, I'll give you double the money!" Yi Ji shouted in a panic.
But the boatman gave a cold laugh, very pretentious, and seemed to be someone who didn't care about money at all, and was about to row away.
"You insolent scoundrel!" the ferryman roared in anger. "Ugly wretch, open your little eyes and see clearly! This man is Lord Yi, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Jingzhou and the Director of the Court of Justice!"
Yi Ji hurriedly told him to stop, but it was too late. The ferryman loudly announced his name and position in a clear and resonant voice, attracting many boatmen and passengers to crane their necks and look in their direction.
"Oh?" The boatman, unfazed by the ferryman's vicious insults, turned and glanced at him with interest. "Lord Yi?" The boatman's expression seemed somewhat mocking, but he didn't say another word, and instead slowly brought the boat back to shore. Yi Ji didn't care about anything else, jumped onto the small boat, and wobbled to his tent.
"Boatman, hurry up and go! I'll give you double... no, triple the price."
The boatman seemed not to hear, humming a song as he slowly drove away.
The boatman gently rowed, and the boat moved swiftly through the shallow water like an arrow. Inside the tent, Yi Ji watched the poplar trees on both sides rush past, and felt a refreshing breeze blowing in from the riverbank. The river wasn't very wide, but it was still quite large for the small boat. The boat moved freely along the riverbank, like a tiny grain of millet gliding across the mirror-like surface.
The boatman loudly recited: "The movement of Heaven is ever vigorous; so should a gentleman constantly strive for self-improvement. 'Hidden dragon, do not act,' signifies the sun is below. 'Dragon appearing in the field,' signifies the widespread application of virtue. 'Striving diligently all day long,' signifies repeatedly following the Way. 'Leaping in the abyss,' signifies advancing without blame. 'Flying dragon in the sky,' signifies the creation of a great man. 'The dragon that has gone too far will regret it,' signifies that fullness cannot last. 'Using nine,' signifies that the virtue of Heaven should not be the first..."
Everyone who is literate knows that this passage is an original quote from the *I Ching*. The boatman recited it aloud, pondering it repeatedly, and after a short while, exclaimed, "Wonderful! Wonderful!" He then burst into laughter.
Chapter 144 Xinye, on the Brink of Collapse
The story goes that when Yi Ji was on the run, he encountered a strange boatman on the Yu River. The boatman was ugly and had a rather eccentric personality. Yi Ji couldn't help but be curious; such a sophisticated boatman was probably no ordinary person. So he tentatively asked, "Boatman, what is your name? Are you from this area?" The boatman chuckled but didn't answer. Instead, he asked, "Lord Yi…where are you in such a hurry to go all by yourself?"
Seeing that he didn't answer, Yi Ji had no choice but to reply first: "Um... I'm going to the county below to handle some tax collection matters at the river crossings..." It turned out that Yi Ji had just passed by a crossing and had an idea, so he simply said that he was going to the crossing to handle tax collection. Anyway, there were several large crossings along the Yu River from south to north, so this excuse seemed quite reasonable.
"Hahahaha..." The boatman laughed heartily.
Yi Ji felt a little uneasy. This was clearly a mockery. Had the boatman figured something out...? "It's not that I didn't bring any attendants. It's just that there are many troops stationed at the river crossings, ready to be deployed at any time," Yi Ji hurriedly explained, thinking that the boatman was suspicious because he didn't have any guards with him.
“Sir, you don’t need to hide it from me,” the boatman said slowly. “I see you’re in a panic. It’s been at least two hours from Jingzhou to here. You must have left before dawn.”
“The matter is urgent…” Yi Ji stammered.
"It seems there must be some trouble in Jingzhou City," the boatman muttered to himself. "What trouble could possibly cause Lord Yi Ji to panic and flee towards Xinye overnight..." he said, a knowing, mocking smile appearing on his lips.
Upon hearing the name "Xinye," Yi Ji knew the boatman had seen through his intentions. Damn, that's impressive... this guy is no ordinary person.
"Liu Biao has died?" the boatman said softly. He didn't look at Yi Ji, but turned his face outside.
A single, soft sentence struck like a thunderclap, sending a chill down Yi Ji's spine.
"Sir, please don't speak nonsense!" Na Yiji hurriedly said, "According to the laws of Jingzhou, those who spread rumors and mislead the public shall be executed."
"Hahahaha..." Another burst of laughter followed. After laughing, he fell silent.
But Yi Ji began to strategize. This fellow had exposed all his secrets with just a few words, showing he was quite a formidable character. If such a person didn't serve me and instead fell into the enemy's hands, it would be a tremendous danger.
As Yi Ji was pondering how to bring up the matter, the boatman spoke again: "Sir, are you going to Xinye to save your life or to face death?"
"What kind of talk is this! Of course it's to save my life." Yi Ji opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated for a moment. If he answered, wouldn't that be admitting that he was heading to Xinye...? But the boatman's words sounded serious, and he didn't know what it was about, so he replied, "Of course it's... to save my life..."
The boatman sneered, "Xinye is in grave danger, can't you see that, sir?"
"As precarious as a pile of eggs? Isn't Liu Bei's army there? Anyway, it's much safer than Jingzhou City..." Yi Ji chuckled inwardly, but didn't say it aloud.
The boatman seemed to have read his mind. He said coldly, "Liu Biao is recently dead, and Liu Bei is currently in trouble in the Jingling area. Xinye only has a mere two thousand troops. Would the Cai family let such a good opportunity pass by? In less than two days, the Jingzhou cavalry will be at the gates of Xinye. Without external assistance, Xinye will surely fall, and even Liu Bei's two wives will fall into the hands of the Cai family."
These words sent a chill down Yi Ji's spine. He had been so focused on escaping Jingzhou that he hadn't considered the next step. Judging by this, Xinye was indeed in imminent danger. Running back there would be suicide... Besides, he was a civil official, not a military general on horseback. If he were left to defend the city, he would be left to die, a truly tragic end...
"The only way out for Xinye is for the cavalry of Luo Jun Huang Zhong's troops to come to its aid. This is possible, but what if they don't come... I wonder if you, sir, dare to bet your life on this..." the boatman continued slowly.
Upon hearing this, Yi Ji thought, "This won't do. How can I gamble with my life? What if that old man Huang Zhong doesn't come, or comes too late? I'll be finished..."
Yi Ji was panicked. This was bad. Xinye was no longer a suitable place. Should he turn back to find Liu Bei? Definitely not; he'd be doomed halfway there. The only option was to wander around this area? That wasn't very feasible either, because Cai Shi clearly knew his whereabouts and would definitely conduct a thorough search along the Yu River. If that happened, he might not be able to escape…
· 0Request flowers0 ······
Yi Ji was at a loss. Since the boatman seemed so knowledgeable, why not ask him for guidance? Yi Ji then bowed deeply and said, "I am confused. Please, sir, show me the way. I will surely repay you handsomely in the future." Although the boatman was extremely ugly and dressed in mismatched clothes, since he was asking for advice, he should be addressed as "sir"... Besides, such a capable person, if he were willing to come out of seclusion, would surely become a chief strategist in the future...
The man smiled slightly: "Lord Yi Ji, there's no need for such formalities. I've heard that the scenery in the northern part of Jingzhou is magnificent, offering views of Jingzhou and Eastern Wu. So I'm staying here temporarily. I have a small manor here, and Mr. Yi Ji is welcome to stay for a few days."
.. . ...
Upon hearing this, Yi Ji quickly bowed again and said, "Thank you, sir. May I ask your honorable name so I may address you properly?" The boatman chuckled and said, "My name is Pang Tong, courtesy name Shiyuan." Yi Ji was greatly surprised and exclaimed, "Could it be... the world-renowned, Young Master Phoenix, Pang Shiyuan?"
Pang Tong didn't answer, only smiled slightly. A short while later, he gently brought the boat to shore, dropped anchor, and went ashore barefoot. Yi Ji followed, head bowed. They passed through a village path overgrown with grass, with only one or two farmers working in the distance. Anyone looking down the road would surely be drawn to them. This group was quite strange; the leader was an extremely ugly fellow, casually dressed, wearing a boatman's hat. Yet, he walked with a relaxed and confident gait, head held high. Behind him was a high-ranking official, dressed in fine robes, a sword at his waist, but he followed closely, seemingly quite respectful to the boatman.
Before long, they entered the small manor. There were only two children, a few rooms, and a courtyard surrounded by a low fence, which was quite spacious. Bamboo trees were all around, and a gentle breeze rustled through them. Pang Tong said, "I quite like this bamboo grove, so I bought this small manor as well. I'll stay here for a few months. After a few months, there might be war here, so I'll move to a quiet place by the Eastern Wu River."
Naji listened to his prediction with extraordinary confidence, as if he had known it beforehand. Not knowing how to respond, he could only nod and agree.
Chapter 145 Pursuit
After being beaten by Yi Ji, Cai Hua fled in terror. He rushed to find Meng Yue, only to discover that Meng Yue was holding an emergency meeting with Cai Mao and others that very night. Cai Hua waited anxiously outside the meeting hall for a while, but the meeting showed no sign of ending. Cai Hua was too low-ranking to dare barge in, and the messenger didn't recognize him either—what could a mere junior officer in the Court of Judicial Review possibly report? How could he dare interrupt such a high-level, urgent meeting…? According to procedure, such an emergency should first be reported to his superior, the head of the Court of Judicial Review, Yi Ji, who would then relay it to the emergency meeting. But that was clearly impossible now… Yi Ji was the one who had beaten him and then fled.
Cai Hua quickly calculated in his mind that Yi Ji had already fled, and he could only report after the meeting. The most urgent task now was to lead the thousand-strong garrison battalion assigned to him by Mr. Meng "543" to seal off the city gates to prevent more people from leaving… Thinking of this, Cai Hua, rubbing his swollen face, assigned over two hundred garrison soldiers to each city gate. He sternly ordered, "Without my order, not even a fly is allowed to leave!" Although his face was swollen, his voice sounded somewhat comical…
By the time Meng Yue and the others finished their meeting, it was already slightly dawn. Meng Yue, looking exhausted, left the council hall and saw Cai Hua waiting anxiously at the door. She quickly said, "I need to talk to you! Go to the garrison immediately and get a thousand soldiers to arrest people according to the list! You don't need to worry about the matter at the city gate anymore!" As she spoke, Meng Yue noticed Cai Hua's swollen face and asked in surprise, "What happened to your face?"
Cai Hua, unsure how to explain this to Meng Yue, took the list. The first name on it was clearly written: Yi Ji. It was emphasized, followed by "sealed off," "under house arrest." Cai Hua's eyelids twitched. He forced a smile and said, "Mr. Meng… this Yi Ji… he fled last night…"
Meng Yue was shocked. His expression, which had been very kind just moments before, froze instantly. Cai Hua felt his gaze fixed intently on his swollen face.
“He is a high-ranking official, I really couldn’t stop him… He even wanted to use his power of life and death to kill me…” Cai Hua covered his face and explained with a bitter expression.
“I understand.” Meng Yue paused slightly, then said coldly. “You don’t need to go and capture anyone now. I’ll find someone else to do it. You immediately take a thousand cavalrymen and head out of the city to search.” He then pulled a gold token from his robes and pointed to it, saying, “If you encounter resistance, kill them without mercy!” Cai Hua took it and saw that it was gilded and inscribed with the words “Emergency Order Token” in clerical script. It seemed Meng Yue had granted him emergency authority. “Go immediately! Pay attention to the direction of Xinye; it’s more likely!” Meng Yue urged impatiently, seeing Cai Hua still examining the token. “Yi Ji escaped right under your nose. If you don’t bring him back, punish him severely!”
"Understood!" Cai Hua hurriedly accepted the order, quickly found a horse, and headed straight for the garrison camp inside the city.
Cai Hua first questioned the soldiers at the city gate, but they stammered and refused to answer. Cai Hua was furious: "You bastards! Yi Ji committed a crime and escaped last night. You were right there last night and didn't come to help me! Mr. Meng Yue wants to punish you! Now you still want to hide his whereabouts? Do you want to live?"
The soldiers had no choice but to point to the main road to the north.
"As expected, they fled north. Mr. Mengyue was indeed a prophet..." Cai Hua said, leading his light cavalry on a wild northward gallop.
Upon reaching the ferry, the soldiers there were startled by the billowing dust and smoke, which suggested there were thousands of cavalry. Fortunately, they could see the Jingzhou flags. The ferry commander, seeing the Jingzhou flags and the light cavalry, assumed they were there to protect Yi Ji and hurriedly went to meet them. Cai Hua dismounted and shouted sternly, "Has Yi Ji been here before?!"
The officer said, "Lord Yi Ji did come. He said there was an urgent matter to attend to and he had already gone down in a small boat earlier."
"This is promising..." Cai Hua was overjoyed, guessing that Yi Ji was also heading to Xinye by boat. "Yi Ji is a fugitive now. We need to bring him to justice. You lead the way immediately, and we'll pursue him by land! Also, we'll requisition ten civilian boats, and you organize soldiers to follow us by water!" Cai Hua said without any politeness.
The officer was shocked. When did Mr. Yi Ji become a fugitive? And why should I listen to you? "Sir... I am the ferry commander. My duty is to maintain order and trade security at the ferry, not to catch any fugitives! You probably don't have the authority to mobilize my troops..." The officer was still polite and politely refused. Cai Hua was furious and immediately pulled out his emergency order token: "Anyone who disobeys orders will be court-martialed!" In fact, Cai Hua was abusing his power, but the token was indeed effective. The officer swallowed hard. Jingzhou had always been far from the war, so the administration was relatively stable, and the central government still had considerable prestige. This token was quite useful. Sure enough, a wise man doesn't fight a losing battle. The officer waved his hand, turned around, and ordered the soldiers: "All assemble! Requisition ten boats from the ferry and head downstream to find the fugitive... Lord Yi Ji."
Although the soldiers were completely bewildered, they still did as instructed.
Cai Hua gave his superior a horse, and as if holding him hostage, he spurred the horse and galloped wildly along the river towards Xinye.
"What kind of boat was he on? Is it easy to identify?" Cai Hua asked.
“Easy to spot…” the ferryman, panting on horseback, “because the boatman has a distinctive appearance… and I recognize the boat too…”
Nothing more was said. They galloped north for two hours, and it was already afternoon. None of the soldiers had eaten breakfast or lunch, and their horses hadn't rested. To make matters worse, the summer heat hadn't subsided, and the sun was scorching. The soldiers of the Jingzhou garrison didn't have much affection for Cai Hua to begin with… he wasn't their superior, just a temporary replacement, so they were full of complaints. They usually hated these kinds of urgent missions, like searches, which could easily keep them up all day without a meal. If it was a raid on homes, at least they could get a decent meal.
Seeing this, Cai Hua became quite annoyed. He impatiently said to the ferryman, "Didn't you see clearly? Didn't you see where that small boat was moored?"
"Impossible... I recognize that ship. It should be just ahead. If I had passed that ship, I would definitely have recognized it."
With Xinye almost within reach, the garrison soldiers were deliberately slacking off, their horses moving at a snail's pace, even the dilapidated boats on the waterway were catching up. Entering Xinye so casually like this, if Liu Bei's soldiers mistook them for someone else and fired a hidden arrow, that would be disastrous…
Chapter 146 Small Boat
Pang Tong, courtesy name Shiyuan, was a native of Xiangyang. In his youth, he was simple and unremarkable, and no one recognized his talent. Sima Hui of Yingchuan, a refined and discerning judge of character, visited Pang Tong when he was just over twenty. Hui was picking mulberry leaves in a tree, while Pang Tong sat beneath it, and they talked from day to night. Hui was greatly impressed, praising Pang Tong as the most outstanding scholar in the south. From then on, Pang Tong gradually rose to prominence. The *Xiangyang Ji* records: "Zhuge Liang is the Crouching Dragon, Pang Shiyuan is the Young Phoenix, and Sima De Cao is the Water Mirror"—all these are Pang De Gong's words.
—From the Biography of Pang Tong in the Records of the Three Kingdoms
Cai Hua had been pursuing them urgently for several hours, and it was already afternoon, with the sun beginning to set in the west. They were less than five kilometers from the border of Xinye. The soldiers were hesitant, none of them wanting to rush over.
Fortunately, the ferry officer exclaimed in surprise, "Look! That's the boat!" Cai Hua looked in the direction he was pointing and sure enough, there was a small, dilapidated boat moored by the water's edge. Cai Hua hurriedly ordered his soldiers to surround it, and he ran down to check. There was no one there!
Could it be that Yi Ji has already fled to Xinye City? Cai Hua was filled with annoyance. Oh no, how am I going to explain this to Mr. Meng Yue when I get back... But the ferry officer obviously didn't think so. He wasn't annoyed at all, but overjoyed and said, "Found him! It seems that Yi Ji has already reached Xinye City. Let's go back." The garrison soldiers next to him obviously agreed and mounted their horses to leave.
How could Cai Hua accept this? He stood by the river, holding his head under a tree, not knowing what to do... Oh well, this might be the last time he leaned against a tree in his life, since Meng Yue might very well kill him after he returned to the city.
"Search! Search the surrounding area!" Cai Hua ordered sternly.
The soldiers in the garrison booed loudly.
"Search! Anyone who disobeys will be punished according to military law!" Cai Hua repeated angrily. The soldiers could only wander around dejectedly. But there was definitely no one there. Cai Hua and his men had started their pursuit several hours later than Yi Ji's escape; Yi Ji should already be in Xinye City. What was the point of searching here? Besides, everyone knew Yi Ji and Liu Bei were on good terms; did they think they could kidnap him from Xinye?
Cai Hua felt a chill creep down his spine, utterly helpless, seemingly with no other option but to retreat… The ferry commander had already ordered his soldiers to return along the river, and the garrison soldiers, seeing this, couldn't help but want to go back too, having no desire to stay any longer. The ferry commander tentatively said, “Sir, Yi Ji has already gone to Xinye. Since things have come to this, perhaps we should return first…” Cai Hua subconsciously nodded, and several messengers nearby, seeing this, were overjoyed and hurriedly relayed the message. The soldiers, who had been unable to contain themselves any longer, upon hearing the order to retreat, scrambled onto their horses and fled, ignoring even Cai Hua.
Left with no other choice, Cai Hua had to follow them back. As they traveled, they saw dust billowing ahead again, the thunder of hooves echoing through the air. Everyone was shocked. Cai Hua looked ahead and saw Jingzhou banners and uniforms—all uniformly worn by cavalry. Which unit was this…? And these cavalrymen stretched endlessly, their numbers far exceeding several thousand, surely tens of thousands. Just then, a small group of soldiers charged towards them, shouting, “Which unit are you! Who is your commander?!”
Cai Hua said, "By order of Mr. Meng Yue, the garrison soldiers are to come out and apprehend the fugitive! Commander Cai Hua! I have a golden emergency order token!"
Before long, a dark-skinned, thin man rode up on horseback, followed by a group carrying a blue silk canopy. Cai Hua recognized him immediately… This man appeared to be a naval commander named Wen Ping, a member of the Cai clan. When Liu Biao promoted Liu Bei, giving him considerable influence in Jingzhou, public opinion in Jingzhou was largely against Cao Cao. However, this Wen Ping brazenly expressed his admiration for Cao Cao. Had it not been for the Cai clan protecting him, he might have been impeached and dismissed. Nevertheless, he was quite brave in battle and capable of commanding the navy. This time, he had brought over ten thousand cavalry—what was he planning…?
Cai Hua stepped forward, flatteringly saying, "General Wenping, I have long admired your name. I am Cai Hua. I was sent by Mr. Mengyue to apprehend the wanted criminal Yi Ji..." Before Cai Hua could finish speaking, Wenping had already launched into a tirade: "Did you go to Xinye? Did you alert the Xinye garrison?"
Cai Hua was momentarily stunned, but instinctively waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "No, no..."
Seeing Cai Hua's timid demeanor, Wen Ping couldn't help but sneer: "This time, I'm leading 30,000 iron cavalry to crush Xinye City within three days! Didn't that Yi Ji run off to Xinye? Don't worry, I'll find him for you!"
Upon hearing this, Cai Hua was overjoyed and quickly expressed his gratitude. Now things were much better. Although he, Cai Hua, hadn't managed to bring Yi Ji back, since the higher-ups had dispatched a large army to capture Xinye, Yi Ji naturally wouldn't escape, and his mistake wasn't so serious after all…
"Alright, alright," Wen Ping said impatiently as Cai Hua kept thanking him. "Tell your soldiers to stay close to the side and not block my army's path, hindering our march! Get out of here!"
"Yes, yes!" Cai Hua nodded and bowed as he left.
As expected, although Cai Hua failed to catch Yi Ji, now that Yi Ji's location was confirmed and Wen Ping had already besieged Xinye City, Yi Ji clearly had no chance of escape. Although Mr. Meng Yue was unhappy, he only scolded him.
They hadn't expected that Yi Ji was currently at Pang Tong's small estate. Pang Tong, anticipating pursuers, ordered his men to row the boat 380 li to the vicinity of Xinye, then abandoned ship and fled. Cai Hua and the others were indeed fooled, believing Yi Ji had already escaped into Xinye City, and failed to conduct a thorough search along the Yu River.
As previously described, Wen Ping led 30,000 cavalry to besiege Xinye. Xinye only had a few thousand defenders, who, after a difficult defense, decided to break out. Mi Zhu led the two ladies in a breakout attempt, while Sun Qian, Jian Yong, and others decided to stay and defend the city—essentially, to their deaths. However, the Jingzhou cavalry was too numerous, and Mi Zhu was unable to break out. Instead, he was surrounded, and the two ladies were in imminent danger. To avoid being captured, they prepared short swords to commit suicide. Fortunately, at the critical moment, Huang Zhong's troops—based on temporary discretion and the advice of Fa Zheng—came to relieve the siege. Even more impressively, Huang Zhong led the Guanzhong cavalry in a fierce attack on the Jingzhou light cavalry.
The Guanzhong cavalry, fierce and ruthless, used a coordinated attack of heavy cavalry and light cavalry on the outer perimeter, forming a pincer movement to encircle and slaughter the Jingzhou light cavalry within. The Jingzhou cavalry had never encountered such fierce and elite troops before. They were utterly powerless to resist, becoming terrified prey in the hunter's hands. Casualties were heavy, with the entire army nearly wiped out. Wen Ping fought his way out, but dared not return, and found a place to live in seclusion.
Chapter 147 A V-shaped area
Yu Jin, a famous general of Cao Cao's army stationed in Fancheng, finally stepped out of his house for the first time in several days to stretch his limbs. Then he said to his guards, "Summon the Imperial Guards, all of you assemble!"
Cao Cao's recent actions have been quite significant, arousing vigilance from all sides. In the east, Zhang Liao, leading 100,000 troops, has marched south to Xuzhou, Linhuai, Shouchun, Hefei, and other places, organizing local forces and strengthening defenses, appearing ready for war. To the east, Wu's Jianye, Moling, and Wancheng have always been heavily fortified locations, with Jianye being a crucial political center for Wu, thus a confrontation between the two armies is imminent. Further west, Cao Hong, Xiahou Dun, and others, leading over 100,000 troops, have already stationed themselves in Wancheng, Nanyang. Adding to this the 100,000 troops stationed by Yu Jin in nearby Fancheng, the Wancheng and Fancheng areas are now a bustling hub of activity.
Cao Cao, originally based in the north, was a separatist force centered on Nanyang (or Wancheng). As his power expanded, he soon extended southward, taking Nanyang under his control. He continued southward until he reached Fancheng, bordering the Xiang River. The Xiang River halted his advance. A tributary of the Xiang River is the Yu River. The Xiang River and the Yu River form a V-shape. Fancheng is at the bottom of this V-shape, like a wedge inserted into Jingzhou territory. To the southwest of Fancheng lies the strategically important Xiangyang, the center of Jingzhou's power in this area. To the left of the V-shape, along the Xiang River, part belonged to Jingzhou's forces, and another part to Luochen's forces. This included Fangling, Nanxiang, and even Shangyong. To the right of the V-shape, along the Yu River, part belonged to Jingzhou's forces, such as Xinye; and part belonged to Cao Cao's forces, such as Anzhong and Anle.
Therefore, for the Luo Chen forces, Shangyong was a strategically important location close to Cao Cao and Jingzhou, where Huang Zhong's cavalry was stationed. Of course, as the situation in Jingzhou worsened, Huang Zhong began moving his troops eastward, stationing some in Fangling and Nanxiang, closer to Jingzhou for faster response. For the Jingzhou forces, Xinye was the central frontline against Cao Cao. Therefore, although Xinye was small, it was of great significance. If Cao Cao wanted to attack Jingzhou, he would first take Xinye, then turn south to attack Xiangyang, eventually reaching Jingzhou. For Cao Cao, Fancheng was a springboard for attacking Jingzhou and a crucial stronghold against the Luo Chen forces. Therefore, he stationed 100,000 troops there, eyeing Jingzhou with hostility. Fancheng's weakness was its forward position, almost adjacent to the enemy, lacking strategic depth. Nanyang, located in the middle of the V-shape, provided this strategic depth, allowing for effective storage of supplies and troops. With Cao Hong and Xiahou Dun leading over 100,000 troops to Nanyang, Cao Cao's forces there have greatly increased, surpassing even Luo Chen's strength. Frankly, if Cao Cao wanted to launch an attack on Jingzhou now, it would be incredibly easy. —Of course, if that old man Huang Zhong were to interfere, even more troops would likely be needed.
All forces are now focused on Cao Cao. He has already eliminated a group of forces in Hebei and pacified Liaodong and other areas. His main army is now free. Even if Zhang Liao sends 100,000 troops there, and Xiahou Dun and Cao Hong arrive in Nanyang with over 100,000, Cao Cao still has over 100,000 troops—or even more. Who knows how much he has gained in Hebei… If he has gained a lot, he should have 600,000 to 700,000 troops. This is in no way inferior to Luo Chen's forces, and may even surpass them.
Mr. Zhang Zhao, a well-known and authoritative analyst in Jiangdong, published an article stating: "The situation in the south depends on Cao Cao. As long as Cao Cao leads hundreds of thousands of troops from Xuchang to Nanyang, then Jingzhou will be at war, the south will be in big trouble, and chaos will ensue."
However, Cao Cao has yet to appear in the south; he remains in Xuchang… Could it be that he is wary of Luo Chen's forces? Currently, Huang Zhong's approximately 100,000 troops are stationed nearby. While the Guanzhong cavalry is formidable, they are outnumbered. If Cao Cao were to gather his main force, he could easily defeat Huang Zhong and seize Jingzhou. —Anyway, Luo Chen's army is far to the north, and there are even rumors that Luo Chen is currently in the Western Regions, deep in the Hexi Corridor desert… However, the alliance between Cao Cao and Luo Chen doesn't seem to be breaking down. Huang Zhong launched a surprise attack—interfering in Jingzhou's internal affairs—and utterly annihilated Jingzhou's 30,000 cavalry. The commander, Wen Ping, is nowhere to be found. Cao Cao, a trusted foreign power of the Cai clan, surprisingly remained silent, only expressing slight regret. Now that Huang Zhong has launched his attack, the Cai clan, who initially intended to deal with Liu Bei, has become subdued, lying prostrate on the ground, afraid to move. Liu Bei hurriedly returned to Xinye with only a few thousand troops, no match for either Cao Cao or the Cai clan.
Since Cao Cao turned a blind eye, Yu Jin was even more so. Huang Zhong was fighting fiercely near Xinye, and to take a shortcut, he went directly through the north of Fancheng—the interior of the V-shaped area. This was outrageous! This was direct passage through Cao Cao's territory without permission, which could be considered an invasion. But Yu Jin completely turned a blind eye; even when his subordinates reported this to him, he didn't get up from his chair, but remained calmly lying down.
"It's alright, Lord Cao told us not to move for now. He's going to deal with the Cai family and their cronies, it has nothing to do with us..." Yu Jin said slowly.
Yu Jin rose from his reclining chair and sternly ordered his entire guard to assemble—the first time in years, the last time being when they intercepted Xu Shu.
"(Zhao Liao's) Imperial Guards, follow me to the North Gate!" With that, Yu Jin mounted his prized horse, which he hadn't ridden in a long time. The guards, numbering about five hundred, formed a long line, some on horseback and some on foot, and followed him to the North Gate.
Yu Jin usually kept to himself and rarely went out. This time, the guards at the North Gate were all surprised to see him personally leading his guards. They thought he was going out... Unexpectedly, Yu Jin stopped at the city gate and said sternly, "North Gate guards, you are now on leave for a day. My guards will take over your guard duties!"
Yu Jin's actions left his subordinates and the soldiers present completely bewildered. What was going on? Why was he ordering his guards to take over the watch at the North Gate?
Despite their doubts, Yu Jin's orders were carried out without question. The guards, standing atop the city walls, had no idea what was about to happen.
Chapter 148 The Change of Power in Jingzhou
The sun was already setting, and it was still quite hot on the city wall. The guards quickly took up their positions in the shade. Yu Jin climbed the wall: "It's so hot! Bring me my parasol..." Those around Yu Jin knew that he always needed two things when he went out: his reclining chair and his parasol. This time, the mission seemed quite urgent, so he hadn't brought it, and a guard hurriedly prepared to run back to get it. Unexpectedly, Yu Jin immediately stopped him: "Never mind, it's fine as it is..." Then he pointed at the guards and said: "You guys stay alert! No slacking off!"
By dusk, nothing had happened, and the soldiers were growing impatient. What the hell? Were they just going to make us stand guard all afternoon? Were those responsible for guarding the city gates given a day off? The soldiers glanced at Yu Jin and noticed he was also getting impatient, constantly fanning himself with a small fan. Fortunately, it was already early autumn, and the mornings and evenings weren't too hot. Now, at dusk, although it was still a bit hot, it was much better than in the afternoon.
"A convoy is coming!" a soldier suddenly shouted. Everyone looked and sure enough, there was a convoy, bearing the banners of Cao Cao's army, with the words "Xiahou" faintly visible on the banners.
Xiahou? Xiahou Dun? Everyone in the army knew that Yu Jin and Xiahou Dun didn't have a particularly good relationship. Last time, Yu Jin even severely beat one of Xiahou Dun's relatives. So why was Yu Jin leading his personal guards and personally going to the city gate to greet him? When everyone saw this, they indeed saw that Yu Jin's face was ashen, and he was extremely unhappy.
Before long, the convoy arrived at the city gate, where General Xiahou Dun was indeed the first to arrive. The convoy wasn't large, probably around a thousand people, mostly cavalry, with a few carriages interspersed among them—perhaps they were bringing along civil officials?
Yu Jin descended from the city gate, his face still ashen. He led his men to open the gate, exchanged a perfunctory bow with Xiahou Dun, and then stepped aside. Everyone noticed that his gaze kept wandering towards the carriages.
The convoy drove all the way to Yu Jin's command post. The surrounding sentries were filled with Yu Jin's personal guards and newly arrived soldiers. Some only saw Yu Jin and Xiahou Dun flanking a man as they entered; those familiar with him would recognize him—it was Cao Cao. Of course, any competent guard knew that speaking carelessly could cost them their heads. The primary quality of a qualified guard was absolute silence.